Qualifying Information/Times/Television coverage

Qualifying: 2 laps for positions 1-42, Friday, March 5 at 6:10pm/et, TV-SPEED, scheduled re-air 11:30pm/et;
AND live via radio at NASCAR.com.

RACE RUNDOWNnews and links

Kurt Busch wins at Atlanta: #2-Kurt Busch won the Kobalt Tools 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway for his 1st win of 2010, 21st of his career and 3rd at AMS. #17-Kenseth finished 2nd, followed by #42-Montoya, #9-Kahne, #98-Menard [2nd career top 5], #43-Allmendinger, #83-Vickers, #16-Biffle, #29-Harvick and #82-Speed. Pole sitter #88-Earnhardt Jr. finished 15th but lead no laps. #12-Keselowski made contacts with #99-Edwards early in the race, sending Edwards into the wall and to the garage. Edwards came back in to the race many laps down and with a few lapsto go, ran into the #12, which turned around then flipped over, landing on the roof and then back over. Keselowski was shaken up, but ok. Edwards was parked for the rest of the race and called to the NASCAR Hauler. 27 cars finished on the lead lap. There were 11 caution periods for 33 yellow flag laps. There were 31 lead changes among 13 drivers.
The race is scheduled to be re-aired, Wednesday, March 10 at 12:00pm/et on SPEED.
See race results, awards, laps led and more on Jayski's Atlanta Race Results/Awards page.(3-7-2010)

Atlanta Facts and Notes:
* Kurt Busch won the 2010 Kobalt Tools 500. It was his 21st Cup series win in his 332nd career start, moving into a tie for 28th with Jeff Burton, Bobby Labonte, Benny Parsons and Jack Smith on NASCARs all-time wins list. It was his third Cup win at Atlanta in 19 starts -- his last win came in this race one year ago.
* Busch has scored a victory in each of the last nine seasons. He became the 15th driver to score three or more Atlanta victories.
* Busch led six times for 129 laps, including the final 10 laps.
* Penske Racing scored its 65th Cup series victory, and its third win at Atlanta.
* Bill Elliott finished 16th in the Wood Brothers' 1,350th Cup race.
* Ryan Newman finished 17th in his 300th series race.
* Three drivers have scored top-10 finishes in the first four races of 2010: Greg Biffle, Kevin Harvick and Matt Kenseth.
* Harvick leads the standings by 26 points over second-place Matt Kenseth.
* Pole winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished 15th.
* Matt Kenseth (second) has finished 13th or better in the previous 10 Atlanta races.
* Juan Pablo Montoya (third) posted his third top-5 finish at Atlanta -- he also finished third at Atlanta in September.
* Kasey Kahne (fourth) led the most laps in the race, taking the point eight times for 144 laps. He posted his third straight top-10 finish at Atlanta and his second top-10 finish of 2010, both in last two races.
* Paul Menard (fifth) posted his best finish in eight races at Atlanta.
* Brian Vickers (seventh) scored top-10 finishes in the past three Atlanta races.
* Kevin Harvick (ninth) has scored top-10 finishes in the past three Atlanta races.
* Tony Stewart (13th) has been running at the finish in the previous 18 Atlanta races.
* Jeff Burton (20th) has been running at the finish in the last 14 Atlanta races.
* Dodge scored its ninth victory at Atlanta. Chevrolet has 35 wins, Ford has 29, Toyota has one, and all others have 28.(ESPN)(3-9-2010)

Race Fast Facts - Atlanta Motor Speedway:
#2-Kurt Busch won the KOBALT TOOLS 500, his 21st victory in 332 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races.
This is his first victory and second top-10 finish in 2010.
Busch has now won at least one race in nine consecutive seasons.
This is his third victory and seventh top-10 finish in 19 races at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
#17-Matt Kenseth (second) posted his 12th top-10 finish in 21 races at Atlanta Motor Speedway. It is his fourth top-10 finish in 2010.
#42-Juan Pablo Montoya (third) posted his third top-10 finish in seven races at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Kevin Harvick leads the point standings by 26 points over Matt Kenseth.(NASCAR Statistics)(3-7-2010)

Top-35 in Owner Points and guaranteed a starting spot at Bristol Motor Speedway [on March 21st] and first five races of 2010 [Bristol is the 5th and final race using 2009 owners points]:
Teams that are guaranteed a starting spot for the first five races, but are currently out of the 2010 top 35 of owners points are:
36) #37-Conway/Front Row: 0 points out of 35th
37) #26-Said/Latitude 43: -24
38) #7-Gordon/RGM: -27
Two teams are currently outside the 2009 Top 35 owners points and a guaranteed starting spot, but are in the top 35 for 2010 owners points after four races, which would assure a starting spot if qualifying at Bristol Motor Speedway is canceled [rain out, etc]:
#82-Speed/Red Bull: 12th in 2010 Owners Points
#71-Labonte/TRG: 30th, but would get in via being a past champ anyway
#09-Almirola/Phoenix Racing missed the race at Atlanta, is 45th but would make the race via being a past winning team in 2009 [winning at Talladega last April]
The other teams likely to attempt Bristol on March 21st that would make the race if qualifying is canceled would be (5):
#13-Papis (39th in 2010 owners points); #55-McDowell (41st); #66-Blaney (42nd) and #87-Nemechek (43rd).
Missing the race would be: #90-Mears (44th) and #46-Cook (47th)
For the owners points standings, see my 2010 Owners Points Standings and 2010 Owners Points Rack for the first five races.(3-7-2010)

Start and Parks? Which teams parked their cars early in the race at Atlanta (or seemed to)?
41st: #55-McDowell, 38 laps run
39th: #66-Blaney, 49 laps
with NASCAR's new rule of the first non-crashed car out of the race to be inspected, it would be the #55 this week
(only count a team with a history of start and park, not a wreck or engine blow and only if 25% or less of race completed)(3-7-2010)

To the Back #14-Tony Stewart and #39-Ryan Newman's teams changed engines in those cars on Sunday morning, so both will have to fall to the rear at the start of the Kobalt Tools 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Newman was scheduled to start 7th and Stewart 15th. Both run Hendrick Motorsports engines, the #39 'new' engine came off the #88 hauler. Both reported valve train problems. Also going to the rear is #16-Greg Biffle, who wrecked in Happy Hour practice and will be in a backup car, he was scheduled to start 13th. So all the drivers on the inside [odd] starting postions will move up a few spots.(3-7-2010)

Pit Stall Selections - Atlanta: The selections of pit stalls for the Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway have been made. Pole sitter #88-Eanhardt Jr chose pit stall 1 [as do most pole sitters].
Outside pole sitter #18-Busch took pit stall 21, the first with an opening in front of it [after the 1st stall of course].
#42-Montoya, who starts 3rd took the 23rd pit stall, the next stall with an opening in front of it.
The 43rd and final pit stall was taken by #5-Martin, who starts 4th.
To see where all the drivers/teams pit stall is, see the pit selection chart on the Atlanta Pit Stall Selection chart.(3-6-2010)

Lowest-finishing, non-wrecked car to be inspected: NASCAR has instituted a new postrace inspection policy for Sprint Cup races in which the first car out of the race that is not involved in an accident will be held for teardown, much like the cars that currently finish in the top five. That meant that Aric Almirola’s #09 Phoenix Racing’s Chevy was thoroughly inspected after the Las Vegas Motor Speedway race. His engine was taken to be torn down later this week at the NASCAR R&D center in Concord, NC. The policy is expected to impact the start-and-park teams – teams that typically bring a car but don’t have funding to run the entire event. These teams often are not in the top 35 in owner points, so they are required to qualify on speed. The new policy means it is likely that one of the cars that qualify on speed for every race will end up getting torn down. NASCAR Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton said Sunday the move was not to discourage start-and-park teams. “We’re just expanding our inspection process and making sure that everybody feels like everybody is on the same playing field, that’s all,” Pemberton said. “It’s all about making sure that the guys who get beat that don’t make the race understand that the guys who get in the race, for the most part, are doing everything right.” The move could cost these teams money, as they will have to pay for an engine rebuild that they might not have needed if they didn’t run many laps. Pemberton said the engine might not be torn down weekly but acknowledged it could cost teams $30,000 for a rebuild. That could lead to those teams racing more instead of risking the cost of a rebuild. Or it could lead to those teams not showing up if they can’t afford to have the motor rebuilt.(SceneDaily)(3-1-2010)

NASCAR Revises Green-White-Checkered Race Procedure: NASCAR announced a revision to one of its race procedures, allowing a maximum of three restart attempts prior to the White Flag under NASCAR's Green-White-Checkered flag finish. If the leader has taken the White Flag and the caution flag is displayed, the field is frozen and the race will not be restarted. Previously, there was only one restart attempt. The new procedure will be implemented beginning with today's running of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series' Gatorade Duel at Daytona and will apply to all three national series. NASCAR officials met with drivers and teams Wednesday at Daytona International Speedway to discuss the change and get their input. The announcement was made during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series' drivers and crew chiefs meeting Thursday morning. "We want to do all we can to finish our races under green flag conditions – the fans want to see that and so do the competitors," said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR vice president of competition. "We felt that putting a cap at three attempts to finish the race under green is the way to go. It gives the fans what they want and it also gives the teams a better opportunity to prepare for their end of race strategy." The change amends procedure 9-14C of the 2010 NASCAR rulebook.(NASCAR)(2-11-2010)

NASCAR tweaks wave-around rule: NASCAR has tweaked its rule on wave-around cars under caution. The new rule now dictates that cars under penalty at the time of the caution are ineligible for the wave around. The change began last week with the Sprint Cup race at Kansas Speedway after a situation came up in the Nationwide Series race that was new to the double-file restart system instituted in June. In the Nationwide race, Roush Fenway Racing's Carl Edwards was penalized for speeding under green, and then the caution came out. He stayed out and didn't pit and then was among those cars on the end of the lead lap. He then got the "wave around" the caution car (along with the rest of the cars that had stayed out and were on the end of the lead lap) to get to the rear of the line of lead-lap cars. Edwards then went to the end of the line to serve his penalty. That move would not be allowed anymore. The driver would not get the wave around and would start a lap down at the rear of the field on the restart, the penalty for a driver who had a speeding penalty under green but never served it before the caution came out. The new rule in general is any driver under penalty is no longer eligible for the wave around.(SceneDaily)(10-11-2009)

NASCAR’s Robin Pemberton explains restart rules: NASCAR Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton gave an explanation last June [2009] of the double-file restart rules. Here are excerpts of the conversation with the media and his answers to some questions ask.SD: What is the procedure for double-file restarts?Pemberton: “When the caution comes out, the field will be frozen as it is today. The free-pass car will be identified as it is today and it will be the same format. As the cars are gathered behind the pace car, the pit road is opened for leaders, the second time by it will be open for the lap-down cars, and that is how it is today. And when we come to the one [lap]-to-go [until the green drops], the cars that have elected not to pit that are lap-down cars that will be in front of the lead-lap cars that have pitted, will be waved around to join the field at the tail end. The lineup will be on the double-file restart, lead-lap cars to the front, lap-down cars, … then it will be the free-pass car, then it will be the cars that have been waved around and then it will be the penalty cars.SD: If a guy on the lead lap opts not to pit, he’s the leader?Pemberton: Correct. Still P1 [the leader].SD: Is there an option for the lead car to select which lane?Pemberton: When we give the 1-to-go, the leader throughout the entire race will get lane choice, high or low. He has to make that choice when we come to the 1-to-go at the stripe. One other thing we have added is the free pass will take place from start to finish throughout the entire race.SD: If a car on the lead lap pits a second time with the lap-down cars, does he restart with the lap-down cars?Pemberton: He will start in his respective track position how he came off of pit road. If you have a lead-lap car who makes multiple pit stops to work on his car, he is not in that lead-lap group that pitted that first-time by. He’ll be scored where he comes off pit road [with lapped cars]SD: The lap-down cars that don’t pit and the get the wave around the leader, do they get to come all the way around to rear of the field?Pemberton: That’s correct but they will not be able to hit pit road for tires and fuel. Pit road won’t be closed but they will forfeit their wave-around status if they hit pit road for tires and fuel.SD: At tracks like Martinsville and Bristol and you’re waiting for the 1-to-go, are you anticipating that the wave around could be hard to be completed?Pemberton: There could be issues. Every track has its different set of challenges. We’ll have to address those when we get to them. The whole field will be double file so they won’t be as strung out.SD: If multiple lead-lap cars stay out, do the lap-down cars that don’t pit still get waved around?Pemberton: The only way you can be waved around is if you are between the leader and the pace car. As pit stops take place, you need to be in front of the lead-lap cars. You get waved around regardless if you’re one or two or three laps down [or more].
(SceneDaily)(6-7-2009)

Earnhardt Jr. wins pole at Atlanta: #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the Coors Pole for the Kobalt Tool's 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway with a speed of 192.761mph for his 1st pole of 2010, his first since Texas in April 2008 [68 races ago] and 9th of his career, Earnhardt has never won a race from the pole. The qualifying speed is the fastest ever for a Car of Tomorrow (COT), the previous fastest for the COT was last October at Charlotte, 192.376mph. The speed also was fastest qualifying speed since Carl Edwards ran 193.105mph at Texas in Nov 2007. #18-Busch will start 2nd followed by #42-Montoya, #5-Martin, #24-Gordon, #9-Kahne, #39-Newman, #19-Sadler, #00-Reutimann and #99-Edwards. The points leader #29-Harvick will start 35th and the winner of the last two races, #48-Johnson, will start 16th.
The go-or-go homers who made the race (8): #71-Labonte, #66-Blaney, #36-Bliss, #13-Papis, #82-Speed, #87-Nemechek, #21-Elliott and #55-McDowell.
The go-or-go homers who failed to qualify for the race (3): #09-Almirola, #90-Mears and #46-Cook.
Pole stats: see my All-time Pole Winners & Stats page & 2010 Pole Winners page.
See the starting lineup, qualifying speeds and notes on my Atlanta Starting Lineup/Qualifying Results page.(3-5-2010)

Qualifying Fast Facts - Atlanta:
#88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the Coors Light Pole Award for the KOBALT TOOLS 500 with a lap of 28.761 seconds, 192.761 mph.
This is his ninth pole in 367 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races.
This is his first pole and third top-10 start in 2010. Earnhardt's last pole came at Texas in April of 2008, 68 starts ago.
Earnhardt's pole speed set a record for fastest in the new NASCAR Sprint Cup Series car. The previous fastest was Jimmie Johnson's speed of 192.376 mph at Charlotte Motor Speedway in October of last season.
This is his second pole in 22 races at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
#18-Kyle Busch (second) posted his fourth top-10 start of 2010 and his seventh in 12 races at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
#42-Juan Pablo Montoya (third) posted his second top-10 start at Atlanta Motor Speedway. It is his fourth in four races this season.(NASCAR Statistics)(3-5-2010)

Qualifying Order for the Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway is posted. 46 cars/drivers are listed. Go-or-go homers will qualify at the end of the session, once the top-35 drivers are done.
The first of the top-35 drivers scheduled to go out is #20-Logano.
The final top-35 driver scheduled to go out is #48-Johnson.
The first go-or-go homer scheduled to qualify [36th] is #82-Speed with the final driver scheduled to qualify being #90-Mears.
See the full qualifying order on the Atlanta Qualifying Page.(3-5-2010)

Some Chassis selections for Atlanta:#1-Jamie McMurray: Kevin “Bono” Manion has decided to bring chassis #905. This is a brand new chassis.#2-Kurt Busch and his Steve Addington-led “Blue Deuce” team will debut their “PRS-715” Penske Racing Charger during the Kobalt Tools 500 action this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway. “This car is very similar to the ‘704 car’ we raced for the first time out at Fontana,” said team engineer Dave Winston. “The guys are doing a great job at the shop in getting these new cars ready,” crew chief Addington said. “It looks like we’ll have new Miller Lite Dodges at Bristol and Martinsville, too.”#5-Mark Martin: Crew chief Alan Gustafson has chosen Hendrick Motorsports Chassis #5-500 for the race in Atlanta this weekend. Martin drove this chassis to earn the pole position and finish second at Indianapolis Motor Speedway last year. He also raced 5-500 to a fourth-place finish at Auto Club Speedway last October.#6-David Ragan: The Chassis Primary is RK-615 which last ran Texas – finished 17th. The backup is RK-670 ran Homestead in 2009 as the #26 (McMurray) – finished 18th. The Pleasantdale West Center (SLIC - 3014) in the Georgia District was selected for the March 7 Kolbalt Tools 500 as part of the UPS Center Recognition Program. The Pleasantdale West Center, one of the top two centers in the district for 2009, is recognized for its exceptional service performance, which includes range of dispatch, exception scan and delivery scan frequency, and net delivered per piece and inside pieces per hour performance.#11-Denny Hamlin: The FedEx team will unload Chassis JGR 253 this weekend in Atlanta. This car has one previous start on its record, a tenth-place finish last season at Michigan. Backup Chassis 246 sat on the pole at Auto Club in the fall of 2009 and will serve as the backup this weekend. The #11 FedEx Office Toyota will carry the numbers #7364 on the B-posts for Sunday’s race in recognition of the St. Louis/Tennessee/Indiana sales team. The 20-plus person team is being honored for outstanding sales performance and partnership throughout the FedEx Office network.#12-Brad Keselowski: The #12 Penske Dodge Charger team will use chassis PRS-710 during Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. PRS-710 is a brand new chassis to the #12 Dodge team.#14-Tony Stewart: running Chassis No. 14-511, a carryover chassis from the former Haas CNC team, with a new nose and bumper installed prior to the 2009 season. Chassis No. 14-511 made its debut at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July 2008 with Jason Leffler at the wheel. There, it qualified 21st and finished on the lead lap in 32nd. Its next start came at Atlanta Motor Speedway in October 2008 where Tony Raines wheeled it to a 32nd-place finish after starting 43rd. Qualifying was rained-out at Atlanta, and Raines earned a spot in the field by the number of qualifying attempts made by Haas CNC’s No. 70 car during the course of the 2008 season. Raines also piloted Chassis No. 14-511 in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, where it qualified 32nd and finished 37th. This car made its first start for Stewart-Haas Racing at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in March 2009, where Tony Stewart used it to qualify 15th and finish 17th. The car participated in a Goodyear tire test at Atlanta July 13-14 and then returned to the 1.54-mile oval for the Labor Day weekend Sprint
Cup race where Stewart started 12th and finished 11th. Its final start of 2009 came in October at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., where Stewart qualified 20th and then rallied to a fifth-place finish after a pit road speeding penalty dropped him to 30th with less than 90 laps remaining. This weekend’s event at Atlanta will mark Chassis No. 14-511’s seventh career start and fourth with Stewart.#17-Matt Kenseth: primary chassis for the #17 Valvoline Ford will be RK-672, with the backup being RK-612, no details#18-Kyle Busch: Sunday’s Kobalt Tools 500 will be the third-ever start for #257. It made its debut last fall at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, where Busch started a distant 34th. The Las Vegas native survived a mid-race scrape with the wall and rallied for a 13th-place finish. The most recent start by this chassis came last November at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, where Busch dominated the Dickies 500 by leading six times for a race-high 232 laps but ran out of fuel late in the race and was relegated to a disappointing 11th-place finish.#24-Jeff Gordon: Crew chief Steve Letarte has chosen Hendrick Motorsports Chassis #24-581 for Sunday's race at Atlanta. This is a brand new chassis that has not been raced or tested.#29-Kevin Harvick: will pilot Chassis #288 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This Shell-Pennzoil Chevy scored a runner-up finish two weeks ago at Auto Club Speedway. Harvick also raced this chassis three times in the latter part of the 2009 season, finishing 18th at Charlotte Motor Speedway, fifth at Texas Motor Speedway and third at Homestead-Miami Speedway.#31-Jeff Burton: will pilot chassis #291 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. Built new for the 2010 season, Burton drove this Caterpillar Chevy to a third-place finish two weeks ago at Auto Club Speedway.#33-Clint Bowyer: will pilot Chassis #298 from Richard Childress Racing’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. Built new in 2010, this Chevy will be put through its first paces this weekend.#36 Mike Bliss: the #36 Wave Energy Drink Chevy team will run TBR – 802 as their primary chassis this weekend at Atlanta.#39-Ryan Newman Kobalt Tools 500 Car – Chassis No. 39-531: This chassis last saw action just two weekends ago at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA. Newman started 18th and was a fixture in the top-12 prior to an engine failure at lap 148, finishing 36th. Prior to the car’s first outing of the 2010 season, Newman piloted this chassis at three races in 2009 – twice at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway for the Sprint All-Star race in May and for the NASCAR Banking 500 in October, and at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill., in July. During the offseason, the original body was cut off the car. The car was made lighter and the bodywork was rebuilt.#42-Juan Pablo Montoya: Crew Chief Brian Pattie and the #42 Target team will bring chassis #819 to Atlanta Motor Speedway. This is a veteran chassis that ran six times in the 2009 season finishing in the top-five three times at Pocono (August), Atlanta (September), and California (October). This is also the chassis used in the Brickyard where Montoya dominated, leading 116 laps before finishing 11th. The other two races ran were Michigan (August) and Texas (November) where it finished 19th and 37th.#48-Jimmie Johnson: Chassis number 558 will be the primary for Sunday's Kobalt Tools 500. Johnson last drove that car from the pole to victory lane at Charlotte Motor Speedway in October. Backup chassis #534 was last driven to a 13th-place result at Pocono Raceway last August.#88-Dale Earnhardt Jr.: This weekend at Las Vegas, crew chief Lance McGrew and the #88 engineers will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis #88-584. This is a brand new chassis that has not been raced or tested.#99-Carl Edwards: The #99 Roush Fenway Racing crew will unload RK-639 for the weekend. Edwards raced this car at Kansas (10th), Michigan in June (fourth) and Texas in April (10th) in 2009.(from team PR's if reported)(3-5-2010)

Top-35 in Owner Points and guaranteed a starting spot at Atlanta Motor Speedway and first five races of 2010:
Teams that are guaranteed a starting spot for the first five races, but are currently out of the 2010 top 35 of owners points are:
36) #37-Conway/Front Row: 7 points out of 35th
38) #26-Said/Latitude 43: -28
Two teams are currently outside the 2009 Top 35 owners points and a guaranteed starting spot, but are in the top 35 for 2010 owners points after three races, which would assure a starting spot if qualifying at Atlanta Motor Speedway is canceled [rain out, etc]:
#82-Speed/Red Bull: 16th in 2010 Owners Points
#71-Labonte/TRG: 30th, but would get in via being a past champ anyway
#09-Almirola/Phoenix Racing start and parked at Auto Club and Las Vegas, is 45th but would make the race via being a past winning team in 2009 [winning at Talladega last April]
The other teams likely to attempt Atlanta this coming weekend that would make the race if qualifying is canceled would be (5):
#21-Elliott [past champion]; #13-Papis (37th in 2010 owners points, 27 pts out of the top-35); #36-Bliss (39th/-33); #55-McDowell (40th/-75); and #66-Blaney (41st/-79).
Missing the race would be #87-Nemechek (42nd/-96); #90-Mears (44th), #46-Cook (47th) and #32-Sorenson (52nd)
For the owners points standings, see my 2010 Owners Points Standings and 2010 Owners Points Rack for the first five races.(2-28-2010)

What happens if qualifying gets rained out?If it is the first five races of the season, the previous season OWNERS points are used:

#1) - Previous season Owner Points [position 1-35][top 35 teams do NOT need to attempt ALL the races]
#2) - Race winners from the previous and current season not already in the field
#3) - ALL Past Cup Champions not in by 1 or 2
#4) - Current season Owner Points [Top 35][not in by rules 1-3]
#5) - Current season race attempts ties broken by current owners points standings [not in by rules 1-4]

Go or Go Home Drivers to Qualify Together: Teams outside the top 35 in owners points will qualify together at the end of the qualifying session. The thought is that nobody would have an advantage in track conditions.

How to Calculate Track Speeds: use the formula Speed = Distance divided by Time. Distance is Track Length, and Lap Time into Hours. Once hour is 3600 seconds, so the calculation for a 48 second lap at Daytona(2.5 miles) would be: Speed = 2.5 x (3600/48), = 2.5 x 75 = 187.500mph. For a 19 second lap at Bristol(.533 miles): Speed = .533 x (3600/19), = .533 x 189.474 = a speed of 100.990mph

How to break a tie during qualifying? (same speed/time) When drivers are tied for a starting spot during qualifying, it is broken by owners points standings (not drivers points).

Determining Race Line-Ups - Top 35 Guarantee: At the start of the 2005 season, NASCAR instituted a new procedure for establishing the starting race field in the Sprint Cup Series [NSCS]. NASCAR revamped the system by simplifying the procedure with teams no longer accruing provisionals throughout the season to gain entry into the starting fields. While starting positions one through 42 in the NSCS still will be determined by qualifying speed, the new system will assure the highest-ranked 35 positions of the NSCS OWNER [not Driver] championship points that have entered the event prior to the entry deadline [usually 13 days before the day of the race] one of those starting positions in the field, providing they have made an attempt to qualify [which usually means the team at least practiced and made an effort to qualify].
The remaining seven positions [36-42] will be assigned to those drivers with the fastest qualifying speeds whose car owners are not among the top 35. The final starting position [43rd] – the champion’s provisional – can be utilized by a car owner whose driver is a current or past Sprint Cup champion who participated as a driver during the current of previous season and was entered in the event for that owner in that car prior to the entry deadline.
If there is more than one series champion vying for the position, it will be given to the most recent series champion. If the final provisional starting position – 43rd in the Sprint Cup – is not filled by a current or past series champion, it will be assigned to the next eligible car owner according to qualifying results.
Through the first five races of the season for the Sprint Cup, the top 35 in the NSCS of the previous owner championship points entered in the event prior to the entry deadline will be assured one of the 42 starting positions in the field, provided they have made an attempt to qualify. From the sixth race on, the current owner championship points will be used to determine the top 35 each race week. In the event that conditions prevent qualifying from being run, starting positions will be assigned according to the respective series’ current Rule Book.(NASCAR PR)Simple: so the field is set by speed to where the 7th fastest non-top 35 driver is on speed. The any drivers in the top 35 of OWNERS [not drivers points] are placed to the 42nd spot. The 43rd spot is used for the most recent past Sprint Cup champion NOT already in the field from being in the top-35 in owners points or one of the seven no top-35. If their is not past champ for the 43rd spot, it goes to the next fastest [8th fastest driver]

RACE RECORDS, NOTES, RULES and NEWS

Newman could break Atlanta pole record: Should #39-Ryan Newman claim the pole during Friday’s Qualifying at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Newman would surpass his mentor, Buddy Baker, with eight-career pole wins at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Currently tied with Baker at seven poles. More info about poles, records, all time pole list, see my All Time Pole Wins page.(2-28-2010)

At Atlanta Motor Speedway::
* Originally called Atlanta International Raceway, the track was then a 1.5-mile paved speedway.
* The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Atlanta was on July 31, 1960, won by Fireball Roberts from the pole.
* The track was re-measured to 1.522 miles in the spring of 1970.
* It was renamed Atlanta Motor Speedway in 1990.
* The track layout was reversed and the track was re-configured to 1.54 miles between the two races in 1997.
* There have been 101 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Atlanta Speedway, two races per year except 1961, which had three.
* Fireball Roberts won the pole and race for the first NASCAR Sprint Cup race in 1960.
* 44 drivers have won a pole, led by Buddy Baker and Ryan Newman, each with seven.
* Six of Newman’s seven poles came in consecutive races between March 2003 and October 2005.
* 42 drivers have won a race; 22 have won more than once, including Kurt Busch, who won the first race last season. In that event, Busch scored a perfect Driver Rating of 150.0.
* Dale Earnhardt scored nine victories, more than any other driver. Cale Yarborough is second with seven.
* Bobby Labonte heads the list of active drivers with victories, with six. Labonte is tied with Richard Petty for third on the all-time win list at Atlanta.
* The Wood Brothers are the most productive car owners with 12 victories. They last won there in 1993 with Morgan Shepherd.
* 14 races have been won from the pole. The last to do so was Kasey Kahne in 2006. Both races last season were won from the second starting position.
* 58 races at Atlanta have been won from the first five starting positions.
* Bobby Labonte won the 2001 fall race from the 39th starting position, the deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Atlanta.
* There have been seven season sweeps, most recently by Jimmie Johnson in 2007.
* There have been 160 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in Georgia.
* 169 NASCAR national series drivers all-time have their home state recorded as Georgia.
* There have been 14 race winners from Georgia in NASCAR’s three national series.(NASCAR)(3-3-2010)

Keselowski's Dodge in red at Atlanta: Brad Keselowski's #12 Dodge Charger from Penske Racing will carry a special paint scheme featuring Dodge [dodgemotorsports.com], Mopar [mopar.com] and FLO TV [flotv.com] this weekend for the Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway (AMS). The all-red Dodge Charger will have all three partners - Dodge, Mopar and FLO TV - prominently featured in the paint scheme. The Dodge logo will occupy both rear-quarter panels while the Mopar logo will be positioned on the rear deck lid along with a FLO TV logo, which will also be featured above the rear bumper. "We are the first automaker in the United States to offer live, mobile television," said Pietro Gorlier, President and Chief Executive Officer - Mopar Service, Parts and Customer Care, Chrysler Group LLC. "We're excited to team up with Dodge and Penske Racing to promote Mopar and FLO TV to the NASCAR audience." Television signals are delivered through a dedicated multicast network built by San Diego-based FLO TV Inc., a live, mobile TV service provider, and a wholly owned subsidiary of Qualcomm Inc. FLO TV offers live and time-shifted programming from top entertainment brands. The service is available in more than 100 major markets and many interstate driving corridors, however it is not available in some rural areas.(Dodge/Darnell Communications), see an image of the scheme on my #12 Team Schemes page.(3-5-2010)

Census colors for Biffle next three races UPDATE: Starting at Atlanta the 2010 Census will take over as primary sponsor of Greg Biffle's #16 Roush Fenway Racing Ford for three races [Atlanta, Bristol and Martinsville]. For every one percent increase in census mail response, taxpayers will save an estimated $85 million. Those funds would otherwise be required to send census takers to collect responses in person from households that don't mail back the form. Census data are used to reapportion congressional seats to states and directly affect how more than $400 billion per year in federal funding is distributed to state, local and tribal governments.(RFR), see an image of the scheme on my #16 Team Schemes page.(3-3-2010)MORE: The U.S. Census Bureau announced an agreement with Roush Fenway Racing to serve as the primary sponsor of the #16 Ford Fusion driven by Greg Biffle for three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races. The agreement will see the #16 carry a special 2010 Census livery in Sprint Cup Races at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday, March 7, Bristol Motor Speedway on Sunday, March 21, and Martinsville Speedway on Sunday, March 28. To increase awareness and encourage participation in the upcoming 2010 Census, the three-race sponsorship schedule lines up with key census mail-out and mail-back dates. The 2010 Census #16 Ford Fusion will feature the familiar Post-It Brand notes of primary sponsor 3M carrying both the 2010 Census logo and "Mail It Back" on the hood, rear quarter panels and rear bumper. In addition, Director Groves will visit Atlanta Motor Speedway this coming weekend for the Kobalt Tools 500. Biffle recently filmed a racing-themed 2010 Census Public Service Announcement that can be viewed online at mediadownload.census.gov/content/greg-biffle. For more information on the 2010 Census visit 2010census.gov.(RFR), see image of the scheme on my #16 Team Schemes page.(3-5-2010)

New sponsor on the #38: Welcoming sponsorship from Charter Air Transport this weekend, David Gilliland and the #38 Charter Air/Taco Bell Ford team head to Atlanta Motor Speedway for Sunday's Kobalt Tools 500. Charter Air will adorn the lower hood and upper-rear quarter panels. This will be Charter Air Transport's second time being a sponsor in the sport. The company is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, specializing in 30-passenger turbo prop planes. They have been a carrier of teams in NASCAR for the past five years. They also service collegiate athletic teams and business professionals with their fleet of turbo props and jets. The company takes pride in being environmentally friendly, with its fleet of EMB-120 aircraft burning only 150 gallons of fuel an hour. For more information, visit www.charterairtransport.com (Breaking Limits/FRM), see an image of the scheme on my #38 Team Schemes page.(3-4-2010)

Lance debut's on the #47: Lance, Inc. has a longstanding history in racing and this season they will have major presence in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Lance partnered with JTG Daugherty Racing and driver #47-Marcos Ambrose for multiple primary races. Lance fully brands Ambrose’s Toyota Camry for the first time this year at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday, March 7th for the Kobalt Tools 500. In addition to sponsoring Ambrose’s efforts to capture his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory, Lance has also partnered with Kids Crooked House to give one lucky race fan the opportunity to win a customized racing-theme Kids Crooked House by visiting www.lance.com.(JTG Daugherty Racing), see image of Lance scheme on my #47 Team Schemes page.(3-4-2010)

Special Aaron's scheme for the #00 at AMS: Sponsor Aaron’s operates 1,695 stores in America but is headquartered in Atlanta. This weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway, David Reutimann will drive the #00 Aaron’s Dream Machine team with a new paint scheme on the Mitsubishi/Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota Camry to honor Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America, Inc their 2009 Vendor Partner of the Year. Ken Butler, Aaron's COO about the paint scheme: “Mitsubishi has been a terrific vendor for many years, duly earning our Partner of the Year distinction. Designing a custom Mitsubishi paint scheme for the Aaron’s Dream Machine is not only an exciting, but valuable means of showing our appreciation for the partnership. Both companies will undoubtedly be pulling for Reutimann to bring the Mitsubishi car across the finish line first at Aaron’s home track.” Reutimann currently has the longest streak of consecutive races finished without a Did Not Finish (DNF) at 44 races of drivers to start every race during that period. Reutimann’s last DNF was Oct. 5, 2008 at Talladega Superspeedway. Aaron’s, sponsor of the No. 00, will give away an autographed hat to a lucky race fan through Facebook and Twitter following any top-10 finish.(MWR), see images of the scheme on my #00 Team Schemes page.(3-3-2010)

National Guard returns to the #24 in 2010: For the second year in a row, Gordon and the #24 team will be sponsored by the National Guard for eight Sprint Cup Series events. In addition to this weekend at Atlanta, Gordon will partner with the National Guard at seven other venues: Texas on April 18, Darlington on May 8, Michigan on June 13, Richmond Raceway on Sept. 11, New Hampshire on Sept. 19, Martinsville on Oct. 24, and Talladega on Oct. 31. In eight outings last year with the National Guard on the hood of his #24 Chevy, Gordon scored an average finish of 4.375. His best effort was a win at Texas Motor Speedway in April, while he scored runner-up finishes at Atlanta in March, Michigan in June and Chicago in July. He finished fifth at Darlington in May, third at Richmond in September and fifth at Martinsville in October. Visit the National Guard's www.JeffGordonGuardGarage.com Web site to get free downloads and view exclusive photos of Gordon at the track and sign up for the Fan Club for a chance to win one-of-a-kind prizes.(HMS), see image of the basic scheme on my #24 Team Schemes page.(3-3-2010)

Edward's to run Scott scheme at Atlanta: #99-Carl Edwards will carry a retro Scotts paint scheme at Atlanta to commemorate Edwards’ first Sprint Cup win there in 2005.(RFR), see image of the scheme on my #99 Team Schemes page.(3-3-2010)

Different look for Martin at Atlanta: This weekend, the #5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy of Mark Martin will have a new blue-and-black paint scheme representing Hendrickcars.com. Hendrickcars.com has up to 5,000 top quality used cars online with up to 90 photos, videos, free CARFAX reports, and manufacturer certified used vehicles. It's a quick, easy and affordable way to buy the best used car.(HMS), see an image of the car on my #5 Team Schemes page.(3-3-2010)

Valvoline to sponsor Kenseth UPDATE: hearing and seeing that Valvoline will sponsor #17-Matt Kenseth in a few 2010 Sprint Cup races. Supposedly for three races. See an image of the scheme on my #17 Team Schemes page.(12-12-2009)UPDATE: Roush Fenway Racing announced that Valvoline, the leading innovator and supplier of quality, high-performing automotive products, will sponsor the #17 entry and driver Matt Kenseth for three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races during the 2010 season. The #17 Valvoline Ford Fusion will debut this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway and then will also serve as the primary sponsor for April’s Talladega race weekend as well as the November Cup Series race in Phoenix [11/21]. Valvoline first teamed up with Roush Fenway Racing in 1990, and together the duo has brought home 44 wins in the Sprint Cup series [many with #6-Mark Martin]. Valvoline is the official motor oil at Roush Fenway Racing, and has been providing Americans with the best motor oil and automotive products longer than any other motor oil company.(RFR), see images of the scheme on my #17 Team Schemes page.(3-3-2010)

Taxslayer.com adds Atlanta race to 2010 schedule: As tax season gets into full swing, TaxSlayer.com has decided to add the Kobalt Tools 500 to its list of primary sponsorship races for the #71 TRG Motorsports team and NASCAR Champion Bobby Labonte, who returns to Atlanta Motor Speedway as the track's most winning active driver. TaxSlayer.com made its debut in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series last year at Watkins Glen International Raceway and served as the primary sponsor of the #71 a total of six times in 2009 before signing on for a multi-race sponsorship in 2010. Jimmy Rhodes, President of TaxSlayer.com, has seen a tremendous upswing in the company's business since joining the ranks of NASCAR sponsors. "We've seen that the power of sponsorship really does work since we've joined forces with TRG as the primary sponsor on the # 71," Rhodes said. "This is always our busiest time of year, but we're really seeing a return on our investment in the sport and believe that adding the Atlanta race to our primary sponsorship schedule can only serve to grow our business further."(TRG Motorsports), TaxSlayer.com is scheduled to be the primary sponsor for 14 races in 2010 [including the Bud Shootour and All-Star Race], now 15 races with the addition of Atlanta in March.(3-2-2010)

Sponsor debut for Newman at Vegas: While Ryan Newman embarks on his 299th career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend, he will also celebrate an important first for his #39 Stewart-Haas Racing team. Sunday’s Shelby American will be the first of nine races where new sponsor Tornados, a brand of family owned Ruiz Foods, will adorn the #39 Chevy as the team’s primary sponsor (SHR) at the following races:
Las Vegas - 2/28Atlanta - 3/7
Phoenix - 4/10
Charlotte - All Star Race - 5/22
Daytona - 7/3
Michigan - 8/15
Auto Club Speedway - 10/10
Martinsville - 10/24
Texas - 11/7
See a schedule of races for Tornados on my #39 Team News & Links page and images of the scheme on my #39 Team Schemes page.(2-24-2010)

Cancer Screenings at AMS: There will be head and neck cancer screenings Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Screenings will be held from 9:00am to 1:00 pm/et in the front display lot between Champions Grandstand Gates 14 and 15.(AMS)(3-6-2010)

Wendell Scott's First Start Being Celebrated This Week UPDATE: At Atlanta Pioneering African-American driver Wendell Scott is being honored this week in Atlanta, via the celebration of his first start in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, on March 4, 1961 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. All vehicles competing this weekend in the NASCAR Sprint Cup and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will have a commemorative decal (shown above) baring the familiar picture of a waving Scott, who died in 1991, leaving a legacy of achievement and dignity. Wendell's daughter, Sybil Scott, will attend this weekend's races as will NASCAR Drive for Diversity driver Jason Romero, the 2009 winner of the Wendell Scott Trailblazer Award, given annually to a female or minority driver in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series who has excelled on and off the race track. Scott, a Danville, Va. native, started racing in 1947. In his first race, he finished third in a borrowed car and won $50. In the next few years he won 128 Hobby, Amateur and Modified races, on the old Dixie Circuit and outlaw tracks. In 1959, Scott logged his best season ever. He won 22 races and captured the Richmond track championship as well as the Virginia State Sportsman title. On Dec. 1, 1963 at Speedway Park in Jacksonville, a one-mile dirt track, Scott became the first African-America to win on NASCAR's highest level, a distinction he still holds.(NASCAR)(3-3-2010)UPDATE: NASCAR Sprint Cup and Camping World Truck Series vehicles will carry a special commemorative decal honoring Wendell Scott’s first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start on March 4, 1961. Wendell was a racing pioneer, becoming the first African-American to win a race in NASCAR’s premier series on Dec. 1, 1963.“This is enormous for our family in so many ways,” Sybil Scott said. “(My father) would want the young drivers coming up today to be inspired.” Ryan Gifford, one of the Drive for Diversity participants, visited with Scott’s family earlier this year for the reality show Changing Lanes, and he said the experience humbled him.
“It really showed me what he went through to open the door for someone like myself,” Scott said. “I couldn’t be more grateful.” And that’s what Sybil Scott hopes her father’s true legacy is: creating opportunities for future minority drivers. “Daddy’s legacy is through the diversity program,” Sybil Scott said. “The doors are open pretty wide right now, I feel very strongly. “I can only look at these drivers and think of how my dad would be their greatest fan. He would be out there encouraging them and would want others to be supportive. That’s how to keep Daddy’s legacy alive.”(AMS)(3-6-2010)

Traffic Alert for the Kobalt Tools 500 Weekend:
Basic Traffic Plan for the Kobalt Tools 500 weekend (March 5th-7th):
Fans have a choice of which major route to take, either Hwy. 19/41 or Hwy. 20 from I-75 southbound. I-75 northbound race fans can exit at Exit 212 Hampton-Locust Grove Road or Exit 218, GA Hwy 20. Please choose which route to take based on where you would like to park on property; fans will be directed to a certain lot based on which way they enter the speedway. Trams, shuttle buses and sidewalks will allow fans to get to their seats easily regardless of where they park on property. Be advised that the direction from which fans enter speedway property is the same direction they will exit to.
ENTERING THE SPEEDWAY:
From Hwy. 19/41:
FROM THE NORTH: Those traveling from the North (traveling southbound on Hwy. 19/41) will be directed to parking lots on the north side of the property and should utilize Speedway Blvd. Those traveling south on Hwy. 19/41 will turn right at Speedway Boulevard and park in the yellow, red or green parking lots off of Speedway Blvd. Buses and those with vehicle credentials need to stay in the left lane, use the counter-flow lane as they approach the speedway and enter just south of the main entrance at entrance E.
FROM THE SOUTH: Those traveling from the South (traveling northbound on Hwy. 19/41 from Griffin) will turn at the main speedway entrance and will be directed to the blue parking lot.
From Hwy. 20: Those traveling on Hwy. 20 will be directed to the orange parking lot on the south side of the property.
EXITING THE SPEEDWAY: Fans will leave the same way they came in. If they entered from the North, they will be directed northbound. Those who enter from the South will be directed southbound.
Georgia DOT urges travelers to call 511 for updated information about road/lane closures or construction projects. Georgia 511 is a free phone service that provides real-time traffic and travel information statewide, such as traffic conditions, incidents, lane closures, construction, and delays due to bad weather. Callers can also reach live operators to request assistance or report incidents 24 hours a day, seven days a week. More information is available at www.511ga.org.(AMS)(3-5-2010)

Marcy Scott aims to win cancer fight:Marcy Scott is the public relations director at Atlanta Motor Speedway. She is battling breast cancer. And she is indomitable. These days she doesn't just notice others that need help; she seeks them out. Her priorities have shifted dramatically. At this point, the rat race wouldn't even qualify as mall-walking. Facing an uncertain future -- staring death square in the eye and refusing to blink -- has that effect on a person. And that's exactly what Scott, 38, is doing. She's staring a hole through it. And she's winning. She's always been a selfless person. I [Marty Smith] met Marcy in the late '90s [Jayski met her at CMS in May 2004], when she represented ppc Racing and driver Jeff Green, and handed out NesQuik chocolate milk coupons with her weekly press release. She always smiled and asked about my wife, Lainie. Every time. That didn't change when she migrated to Bill Davis Racing or PPI Motorsports, or when she headed home to Atlanta to work at AMS. At Atlanta she was overworked. Her department was understaffed, and the burden of picking up the slack fell her way. Others helped, certainly. (She made sure I noted that.) But she was the name on the press releases and in the contact book, so she was the fire extinguisher. PR is as much about coddling as it is about information. That's just the truth. As a result, the job began to define her. She was an "impatient perfectionist," and her life was out of balance. Like many career-driven folks, she put the job first and herself second. Or third. Or last. No more. "That's gone," she said. "It's not worth it. I feel like I've been given a gift. I'd never change this ride. Do I want to do it over? No. Do I want to have a mastectomy? No. Do I like standing here right now with boy hair and one boob? No. But it doesn't matter. Do I like how I look? No. But it doesn't define me. I won't let it define me." Marcy was diagnosed in June. Like most folks who hear the words "You have cancer," she was ill-prepared for the news. No one, nothing, can prepare you for that sentence. It literally brought her to her knees. The information hit her like a freight train, in overwhelming abundance. She would need chemotherapy, four months' worth. Radiation, too, six weeks' worth, every day. She would require surgery following chemo to remove her breast, and when the chemo and radiation was over, a hysterectomy to remove the risk of ovarian cancer.
Countless people contacted Marcy after her diagnosis. She was appreciative, but it didn't take long to become overwhelmed with telling the same story again and again. She created a blog to spill her thoughts, frustrations and triumphs -- and only say it once. It is a harrowing account of her journey. In the latest installment she discusses how depressed she was just before Christmas, feeling "battered and bruised due to the pain of the surgery and multiple complications."
Next up for Marcy is the Kobalt Tools 500 this weekend, and on Wednesday she'll have that hysterectomy. In telling me about it, she choked up. Then she giggled a bit. "I was going through chemo, and standing at the elevator one day," she said. "And someone was standing there complaining about, 'I'm just so tired.' You want to stab them. Do you really know what tired is? I'll show you tired. You can't expect everyone to have the perspective. It takes a lot of patience. Until you have that perspective you don't get it. I used to be one of those people. That's OK. I'm not there anymore."(in part, see the full article with more quotes at ESPN.com by Marty Smith)(3-5-2010)

National Anthem for Kobalt Tools 500: Mark Willis, a country music veteran with eight top-10 singles on the Billboard country music charts, will perform the National Anthem prior to the Kobalt Tools 500 on Sunday, March 7. Willis has charted two number one hits – “Wish You Were Here” and “19 Somethin” – and his career began after winning a local talent contest in Marietta, GA.
For more information on the upcoming Kobalt Tools 500 race weekend or to purchase tickets, contact the Atlanta Motor Speedway Ticket Office at (770) 946-4211, (877) 9-AMS-TIX, or visit www.atlantamotorspeedway.com.(AMS)(3-4-2010)

Flyover for Kobalt Tools 500: Fly over details have been set for the Kobalt Tools 500 race weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway and include a B-52H and a pair of F/A-18E Super Hornets. The fly over for the Kobalt Tools 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on Sunday, March 7 will feature a B-52H Stratofortress from Barksdale Air Force Base in Shreveport, La. The Stratofortress will be piloted by a nine-member team of the 93rd Bomb Squadron that saw action in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The B-52H Stratofortress is the Unites States Air Force's long-range, large-payload bomber and is also known as the BUFF (Big Ugly Fat Fellow).
The fly over for the E-Z-GO 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on Saturday, March 6 will include a pair of F/A-18E Super Hornets from Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach, Va. The Super Hornets are piloted by the Strike Fighter Squadron 105 (VFA-105), also known as the "Gunslingers," and the group participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom and recently embarked on the maiden deployment of the USS Harry S. Truman in support of Operation Southern Watch.
For more information on the upcoming Kobalt Tools 500 race weekend or to purchase tickets, contact the Atlanta Motor Speedway Ticket Office at (770) 946-4211, (877) 9-AMS-TIX, or visit www.atlantamotorspeedway.com.(AMS)(3-4-2010)

Special Ticket Packages for the Kobalt Tools 500 Weekend:$59 Frontstretch Tickets: Now the most affordable seat on the Atlanta Motor Speedway frontstretch, fans can purchase frontstretch seating for just $59. Located in rows one through nine of the Petty and Lower Winner's Grandstands, a limited number of frontstretch seats will be available to fans at the low price of $59.Family 4 Pack: Bringing affordable fun to the whole family, Atlanta Motor Speedway is offering the Family 4 Pack for just $159 for the Kobalt Tools 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup race. The Family 4 Pack includes four lower level Elliott Grandstand seats, four hot dogs and four 12-ounce Coca Colas for just $159.$19 Student and Children Tickets: As a special rate for students, Atlanta Motor Speedway is offering a specially-priced $19 ticket in the Elliott Grandstand. Seats are available in each row of the Elliott Grandstand that overlooks Turn 3. Students must provide a valid student ID.$39 Adult Tickets: With a $39 ticket in the Elliott Grandstand, you can attend the Kobalt Tools 500 for less than it costs to gas up the pace car. One of the most affordable tickets in NASCAR, fans can purchase $39 tickets in rows one through 20 in the Elliott Grandstand overlooking Turn 3.Earnhardt Jr. Fan Section To commemorate Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s car number, Dale Earnhardt Jr. fans can purchase $88 tickets in the first 26 rows of the Earnhardt Grandstand for the Kobalt Tools 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup race.Richard Petty Driving Experience Special Fans can purchase a Ride-Along with the Richard Petty Driving Experience for just $59 - a savings of $50 off the retail price of $109 - to accompany their Kobalt Tools 500 tickets. Fans will receive up to two vouchers from the Atlanta Motor Speedway ticket office when they purchase two tickets, excluding $39 tickets and $19 student tickets. The program will begin one hour after the conclusion of the Kobalt Tools 500.$39 Weekend Upgrade: Turn one of NASCAR's fastest Sprint Cup races into a full weekend of speed with a $39 Weekend Upgrade package. The Weekend Upgrade includes frontstretch, general admission seating for Georgia Power Qualifying Night and the E-Z-GO 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race for just $39. Fans must have a Kobalt Tools 500 ticket to upgrade.Kids FREE Friday and Saturday: Children ages 12 and under are admitted FREE to the Georgia Power Qualifying Night and to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Atlanta 200 when accompanied by a paying adult in general admission seating on the frontstretch. All ticket specials are available while supplies last.
For more information on the upcoming Kobalt Tools 500 race weekend or to purchase tickets, contact the Atlanta Motor Speedway Ticket Office at (770) 946-4211, (877) 9-AMS-TIX, or visit www.atlantamotorspeedway.com.(AMS)(3-4-2010)

Boy Scouts to Race Pinewood Derby Cars at Atlanta: As part of the Atlanta Motor Speedway’s annual “Scout Day at the Races” this weekend, Cub Scouts from the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) Flint River Council will have the opportunity to race their pinewood derby cars at the track. Additionally, Scouts will present the colors on Saturday and Sunday during prerace flag-raising ceremonies. Any Scout in uniform will be admitted free to Saturday’s events. On Friday, Atlanta media are invited for interviews and photo opportunities with Scouts, national and local BSA representatives, and the track president. This opportunity comes on the heels of the BSA’s 100th Anniversary on February 8, 2010. As part of the yearlong anniversary celebration, Scouts from every corner of the country will send pinewood derby cars across America through geocaching, a high-tech treasure-hunting game. This “Race to 2010” begins nationwide on March 6.For more information on the upcoming Kobalt Tools 500 race weekend or to purchase tickets, contact the Atlanta Motor Speedway Ticket Office at (770) 946-4211, (877) 9-AMS-TIX, or visit www.atlantamotorspeedway.com.(AMS)(3-2-2010)

Atlanta Ticket Office Extends Hours and Open Weekends: In an effort to better serve fans and meet increased demand leading up to the March 5-7 Kobalt Tools 500 race weekend, the Atlanta Motor Speedway Ticket Office will open for four-consecutive weekends preceding the Kobalt Tools 500 weekend. The Ticket Office will open from 9 a.m. through 5 p.m. on Saturdays and will open from 1 p.m. through 5 p.m. on Sundays. In addition to opening on weekends, the Ticket Office will also feature extended weekday hours beginning on Monday, Feb. 15, with the Office open from 9 a.m. through 8 p.m. For more information on the upcoming Kobalt Tools 500 race weekend, contact the Atlanta Motor Speedway Ticket Office at (770) 946-4211, (877) 9-AMS-TIX, or visit www.atlantamotorspeedway.com.(Atlanta PR)(1-30-2010)

Buy tix for Atlanta spring race, get discount on ride alongs: Race fans can lay rubber on Atlanta Motor Speedway’s high banks only hours after their favorite drivers with a special offer from AMS and the Richard Petty Driving Experience for the March Kobalt Tools 500 race weekend. Allowing them to reach speeds of nearly 170 mph on Atlanta’s high banks immediately after the March 7 Kobalt Tools 500, fans can purchase a Ride-Along with the Richard Petty Driving Experience for just $59 – a savings of $50 off the retail price of $109 – to accompany their Kobalt Tools 500 tickets. Each RPDE Ride-Along gives race fans the opportunity to sit shotgun in a NASCAR-styled stock car with a professional driver for a three-lap qualifying run. Fans will receive up to two specially-priced Richard Petty Driving Experience Ride-Along vouchers from the Atlanta Motor Speedway ticket office when they purchase two tickets to the Kobalt Tools 500, excluding $39 tickets and $19 student tickets. Fans can then call the Richard Petty Driving Experience at 1-800-BE-PETTY to purchase and schedule a Ride-Along time. The program will begin one hour after the conclusion of the Kobalt Tools 500 and will last until approximately 10 p.m. A limited quantity of post-race Ride-Alongs are available and interested fans are encouraged to purchase now to reserve their spot. For more information and to purchase tickets, contact the Atlanta Motor Speedway ticket office at 877-9-AMS-TIX (877-926-7849) or 770-946-4211.(AMS)(1-13-2010)

Atlanta Motor Speedway’s Camping Options for March races: A limited number of campsites are available in Atlanta Motor Speedway’s three newest campgrounds for the Kobalt Tools 500 race weekend this March. The Legends Reserved Tent, Elliott Reserved and Elliott Reserved Handicapped Campgrounds have just a select number of spaces available for campers looking for prime real estate for the Kobalt Tools 500 race weekend. Availability is most scarce in the Elliott Reserved Handicapped Campground, where only a few spaces remain. Created in May of 2009 to accommodate advance demand surrounding Atlanta Motor Speedway’s first Labor Day Weekend of night racing, the Speedway’s newest campsites provide proximity to the track and locations walking distance from the Display Lot. Atlanta Motor Speedway's Elliott Reserved and Elliott Reserved Handicapped Campgrounds are located directly behind the Elliott Grandstand overlooking Turn 3, providing direct access for fans with Elliott Grandstand tickets. Each RV spot is approximately 45 feet long by 25 feet wide and costs just $150. The Legends Reserved Tent Campground is located between Atlanta Motor Speedway's main entrance and the Legends Campground. With more than 230 campsites with dimensions of 20 feet by 30 feet for $125, the Legends Reserved Tent Campground is one of the most desired camping locations on the Atlanta Motor Speedway property with close proximity to the Display Lot. In addition to Atlanta Motor Speedway’s newest campgrounds, very few Trackside Terrace Luxury RV spots remain available and include10 tickets, 10 pit passes and full RV hookups for a 50 feet by 25 feet RV location overlooking the track for $7,000 annually. A limited number of infield spots are available in the Flock Bros. Corral Campground, featuring 40 feet by 15 feet RV spots for $500 annually. Fans can purchase campsites for the Kobalt Tools 500 race weekend by contacting the Atlanta Motor Speedway Ticket Office at (770) 946-4211, (877) 9-AMS-TIX or by visiting www.atlantamotorspeedway.com.(Atlanta Motor Speedway)(1-8-2010)

Fans can “Ask the GM” of Atlanta Motor Speedway: For fans eager to pick the brain of a veteran of the racing industry, Atlanta Motor Speedway’s newest online feature, “Ask the GM,” will provide just this opportunity with Ed Clark, president and general manager of AMS. Atlanta Motor Speedway recently added “Ask the GM” to the track’s official website, giving fans the opportunity to question and gain insight from Clark. Upon visiting the “Ask the GM” webpage, fans can submit questions to Clark and one or more questions will be answered and posted online each week. Fans can “Ask the GM” by clicking the “Ask the GM” link under the “Contact” tab on the Atlanta Motor Speedway homepage or by visiting atlantamotorspeedway.com.(AMS)(11-14-2009)

Atlanta partners to offer low hotel rates for 2010 Kobalt Tools 500: Atlanta Motor Speedway has again partnered with a number of area hotels to provided discounted room rates as low as $59 for fans attending the 2010 Kobalt Tools 500 race weekend on March 5 - 7. Continuing a program that makes attending NASCAR race weekends at Atlanta Motor Speedway more affordable, the Speedway's current partner hotels feature room rates of no more than $120 and do not require a multi-night stay. Of the partner hotels, six feature rates of $70 or less for the 2010 Kobalt Tools 500 race weekend. Race fans can directly access the list at www.atlantamotorspeedway.com/fans/hotels/.(AMS)(11-3-2009)

Gateway to AMS Announced: Elizabeth “B.J.” Mathis, Chairman of the Henry County Board of Commissioners, announced Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway a new initiative that will welcome race fans to Henry County. Construction will begin next year on a new “Gateway to Atlanta Motor Speedway” that will feature a Victory Lane replica viewable from Interstate 75 at exit 218 to Bruton Smith Parkway, the main traffic artery heading to the superspeedway. “Henry County is the gateway to Atlanta Motor Speedway, and we are quite proud of that fact,” Mathis said. “We want to make sure that everyone entering into Henry County knows that too.”
A NASCAR Sprint Cup race car, racing flags and a replica of winner’s circle, along with extensive landscaping, will greet visitors year-round once construction is complete. “We’re proud we’re in Henry County, and we’re proud of the support we receive from them,” Ed Clark said.(AMS)(9-7-2009)

Notes: Teams in both NASCAR series in action at Atlanta this weekend will run the same tire codes, though the Sprint Cup tires will be branded "Goodyear Eagle," while the Camping World Truck tires will be branded "Goodyear Wrangler" . . . this is a brand new combination of left- and right-side tires, coming out of a Goodyear test at Atlanta this past January 12-13 . . . teams and drivers participating in that test were the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet with Mark Martin, No. 56 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota with Martin Truex Jr., No. 77 Penske Racing Dodge with Sam Hornish and No. 99 Roush-Fenway Racing Ford with Carl Edwards . . . compared to the tire set-up run at Atlanta last fall, both these left- and right-side tires have undergone construction changes to help give cars more grip . . . while this year's left-side compound remains unchanged, this right-side compound is slightly more tractive, also to provide more grip . . . as on all NASCAR ovals greater than one mile in length, teams are required to run inner liners in all four tire positions at Atlanta . . . air pressure in those inner liners should be 12-25 psi greater than that of the outer tire.

DRIVER/TEAM/TESTING NEWS

Braun Racing to run some Sprint Cup races UPDATE 2 skips Atlanta: Nationwide Series team, Braun Racing announced they will enter five NASCAR Sprint Cup races in 2010. Dollar General, which sponsors the team's #32 entry in the Nationwide Series, will serve as primary sponsor for five races throughout the 2010 season, including Daytona (February), Atlanta (March), Chicago (July), Indianapolis (July) and Charlotte (October). Reed Sorenson, who drives the #32 Dollar General Toyota on a limited basis in the Nationwide Series, has been named as the driver. Learn more about Dollar General at www.dollargeneral.com.(Braun Racing)(1-14-2010)UPDATE: the team decided not to run Atlanta and will instead run at Texas in April.(3-2-2010)UPDATE 2: The #32 Dollar General team will make its next attempt at Sprint Cup racing at Texas Motor Speedway (TMS) in April. Given the fact that NASCAR is doing away with the wing and returning to the spoiler on the NSCS car, team owner Todd Braun and crew chief, Trent Owens, both agreed that it made more sense to skip this weekend’s Atlanta race and focus on the changing technology. The open test session at Charlotte Motor Speedway (March 23-24) will give the new NSCS team the chance to test for the April, 18 event at TMS.(Braun Racing), see images of the car on my #32 Team Schemes page.(3-5-2010)

Papis to run Daytona 500, sets 2010 schedule: Last weekend, Max Papis spent his days and nights behind the wheel of the #01 Grand-Am Series entry for Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates in the Rolex 24 at Daytona. He pushed the car to the lead before surrendering it after a double-stint on Saturday night. He would then climb back in the car early Sunday morning, driving an unprecedented four stints. After pacing the Daytona road course for an astonishing three hours and fifty minutes, he turned the car over to teammate Scott Pruett. The Ganassi team would ultimately record a second place finish in the Rolex 24, which is regarded as one of the top races in the world. Papis prepares to begin his second season in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competition in the #13 GEICO Toyota Camry for Germain Racing at Daytona International Speedway this week when he returns for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice and qualifying. In addition to his duties in the #13 GEICO Camry, Papis will also pilot the #9 GEICO Toyota Tundra in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Daytona International Speedway on Friday, February 12th. Papis is scheduled to run 20 Sprint Cup Series races in 2010, including the Sprint Showdown in Charlotte.(GEICO Racing PR)(2-5-2010)